Veterans Affairs' burn pit registry needs improvement, officials say

Oct. 14 (UPI) -- The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs' registry to track burn pit illnesses and help veterans get care is achieving none of its goals, according to a new report.

Kristen Olson, director of sociological research at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, unveiled the new report on the burn pit registry during an event Friday.

The report, mandated by Congress, was authored by a committee with the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine.

Congress ordered the VA to establish the burn pit registry in 2013 to "ascertain and monitor" the health effects of soldiers who may have been exposed to smoke from oil-well fires, emissions from open burn pits, dust and sand and diesel exhaust since the the Gulf War.

"[Our findings] conclude that there are no refinements or improvements that will allow the registry to serve as a population health surveillance system," Olson told the Navy Times.

"Because there is no way for registry participants to update their health information, there is no way for the registry to accomplish this goal or even to monitor health patterns over time."

Since the registry was launched in 2014, more than 317,000 veterans have enrolled, although many have complained that the registry is too restrictive and complicated.

According to the Department of Defense, nearly 3.5 million troops from recent wars may have suffered health problems from exposure to open-air burn pits.

"The stated registry purpose of research about how the effects of airborne hazards and conducting population health surveillance are unattainable," said David Savitz, a professor of epidemiology at Brown University in Rhode Island and chairman of the committee, told the Navy Times.

The registry is available through the VA website.